- "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" Trailer (1956)
- "Red Dawn" Trailer (1984)
- "The Day After" Trailer (1983)
- "Dr. Strangelove" Trailer (1964)
- The Red Scare Goes Hollywood
- 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' subtly warns against both Soviets and blind McCarthyesque fear
- Ramboesque Brat Pack stars defend America in 'Red Dawn'
Cold War Cinema
Extra Credit Opportunity THIS WEEKEND!
The epic mini-series "Band of Brothers" will be on the History Channel THIS WEEKEND!
It's an amazing series, and well worth every minute you watch. It came out not long after "Saving Private Ryan" and was another partnership between Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks which has much the same cinematic style and impact.
Saturday, April 21st: Parts 1-5, from 12:30PM to 7PM
Sunday, April 22nd: Parts 6-10, from 12:30PM to 7PM
(In addition, it's also available at Blockbuster!)
Because it is a TEN PART MINISERIES, I will give you until the end of the semester to complete viewing and writing-up this assignment. In addition, because I recommend so highly this series, I want to give you an incentive to watch as much of it as humanly possible. :-) As a result, for each episode that you see, evaluate it using at least two of our three major historical analyses, i.e., 1) its role in the history of film (or television); 2) as a primary source; and/or 3) as a secondary source.
For each write-up that you do (and do well), I'll give you 2 points of extra-credit to be applied where you need it most!
Enjoy the viewing!
It's an amazing series, and well worth every minute you watch. It came out not long after "Saving Private Ryan" and was another partnership between Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks which has much the same cinematic style and impact.
Saturday, April 21st: Parts 1-5, from 12:30PM to 7PM
Sunday, April 22nd: Parts 6-10, from 12:30PM to 7PM
(In addition, it's also available at Blockbuster!)
Because it is a TEN PART MINISERIES, I will give you until the end of the semester to complete viewing and writing-up this assignment. In addition, because I recommend so highly this series, I want to give you an incentive to watch as much of it as humanly possible. :-) As a result, for each episode that you see, evaluate it using at least two of our three major historical analyses, i.e., 1) its role in the history of film (or television); 2) as a primary source; and/or 3) as a secondary source.
For each write-up that you do (and do well), I'll give you 2 points of extra-credit to be applied where you need it most!
Enjoy the viewing!
Last Installment of Syllabus!!
Wow, the end of the semester is already upon us!! There's so much that I'd still want to cover with ya'll... but here's what we've got time left to do!
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “History is written by the victors.” - Winston Churchill
April 11 - WAR & CINEMA, PART I
Reading Assignment - American Cinema, American Culture, Chap. 9; Propaganda (fyi...)
In-Class Viewing
- Finish Hotel Rwanda
- Sixth Media That Matters Film Festival: "In Transit" & "Eyes on the Fair Use of the Prize"
- Introduction to Walt Disney: On the Front Lines
- Der Fuehrer's Face (1942)
- Introduction to Victory through Air Power (1943)
- Victory through Air Power trailer
- Duck Soup (1933)
- Why We Fight: War Comes to America (1943-1945)
"This is Frank Capra's classic first installment from the seven film series entitled, 'Why We Fight.' It is a masterpiece of US propaganda, shown first to soldiers, later to the US public, and eventually to our allies (including the Soviet Union). With dramatic narration and musical score, it drives home the point that "Our World, the free world" must fight "That other world." Capra's idea was to use the film archives of Japanese, German, and Italian propagandists against them with, of course, careful editing and translating." (imdb)
"Walter Huston's grandfatherly voice is used effectively to narrate most of the film with a deftly written script. In the hands of a lesser film maker, the materials presented here would be nothing but propaganda on the level used by Hitler. But Capra stirs the spirit at the same time that he is making his point -- namely, freedom is not something that can be taken for granted. Capra skillfully makes his point that if free people don't stand up for themselves, they will likely be crushed by all the darker elements in human nature -- greed, lust for power, and tyranny." (imdb)
April 18 - WAR & CINEMA, PART II
Reading Assignment - American Cinema, American Culture, Chap. 13
Also, don't forget to bring your brief analysis of one of the films from 4/11 as 1) its role in the history of cinema; 2) as a primary source; and 3) as a secondary source.
In-Class Viewing -
- The Legacy: Covering the Vietnam War
- Apocalypse Now (1979)
- Stop That Tank
- Saving Private Ryan (1998) (For more info... See D-Day FAQs)
- Fog of War (2003) (Clip and Official Website)
- The Sixth Media That Matters Film Fest - "Night Visions"
April 25 - THE COLD WAR & FILM
Reading Assignment - American Cinema, American Culture, Chap. 12
In-Class Viewing
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1953)
- Dr. Strangelove (1964)
- Manchurian Candidate (1962)
- What To Do In A Zombie Attack (2006)
May 2 - Da Vinci Code
Reading Assignment - Da Vinci Code
In-Class Viewing
- Da Vinci Code (2006)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)